Oral administration of choline does not affect metabolic characteristics of gliomas and normal-appearing white matter, as detected with single-voxel (1)H-MRS at 1.5 T.
BACKGROUND
The present study was done for evaluation of the possible influence of the oral administration of choline on metabolic characteristics of gliomas detected with proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy ((1)H-MRS).


METHODS
Thirty patients (22 men and eight women; mean age 38 +/- 15 years) with suspicious intracranial gliomas underwent single-voxel long-echo (TR 2,000 ms, TE 136 ms, 128-256 acquisitions) (1)H-MRS of the tumor, peritumoral brain tissue, and distant normal-appearing white matter before and several hours (median, 3 h; range, 1.2-3.7 h) after ingestion of choline with prescribed dose of 50 mg/kg (median actual dose, 52 mg/kg; range, 48-78 mg/kg). Investigations were done using 1.5 T clinical magnetic resonance imager. The volume of the rectangular (1)H-MRS voxel was either 3.4 or 8 cm(3). At the time of both spectroscopic examinations, similar voxels' positioning and size and technical parameters of (1)H-MRS were used. Surgery was done in 27 patients within 1 to 68 days thereafter. In all cases, more than 80% resection of the neoplasm was attained.


RESULTS
There were 12 low-grade gliomas and 15 high-grade gliomas. MIB-1 index varied from 0% to 51.7% (median, 13.8%). Statistical analysis did not disclose significant differences of any investigated metabolic parameter of the tumor, peritumoral brain tissue and distant normal-appearing white matter between two spectroscopic examinations.


CONCLUSIONS
Single-voxel (1)H-MRS at 1.5 T could not detect significant changes of the metabolic characteristics of gliomas, peritumoral brain tissue, and distant normal-appearing white matter after oral administration of choline.
Chernov
Mikhail F
MF
International Research and Educational Institute for Integrated Medical Sciences (IREIIMS), Tokyo Women's Medical University, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, Japan. m_chernov@yahoo.com
Muragaki
Yoshihiro
Y
Maruyama
Takashi
T
Ono
Yuko
Y
Usukura
Masao
M
Yoshida
Shigetoshi
S
Nakamura
Ryoichi
R
Iseki
Hiroshi
H
Kubo
Osami
O
Hori
Tomokatsu
T
Takakura
Kintomo
K
D000328:Adult; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D002794:Choline / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005260:Female; D005910:Glioma / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D009413:Nerve Fibers, Myelinated / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology*; D011522:Protons
D011522:Protons; D002794:Choline